ZUTARA: Blood and Love
by MaduFox990
Summary: It has been ten years since the gaang's last reunion. Zuko is having some health issues only his favorite Waterbender can fix. How will this reunion end? Later chapters may be a little steamy. Keeping it T though...make be T later on.


**This is taking place ten years after the war. Katara is engaged to Aang and Zuko is no longer with Mai. Zuko is 26 and Katara is 24. This will be rated T but things may get a little steamy. IDEK. C: Please enjoy! **

**-Madu 3**

Katara sat up and yawned. She stretched out her tan arms and exhaled. Aang had just left about a week ago. He had said something about going to Ba Sing Sae…for a year. Her fiancé Aang would be performing his Avatar duties a whole year. Why didn't she go? She wondered this too. He had said that she should stay back for her tribe and help renovate. Even after she insisted that they had enough hands and that it had been years of work, he said that she should stay in case of emergency. She reluctantly stayed behind. She'd miss her beloved Aang, that was for sure. She always missed him when he went away, but he's never been gone a full year.

She sat up and put on her parka. She slipped her furry boots on and walked out into the cold. Just as she was reaching her mailbox, a bright red bird came soaring down to perch on Katara's fence post. Katara quickly noticed the Fire Nation insignia on its strap. She held her arm out and allowed the pretty bird to grab on.

Once she was inside, she set the bird down on the dark table. It scuffled around a bit, getting used to the unfamiliar surface. Katara wasted no time in getting the note out. Maybe Aang had made a quick stop at the fire nation? As she pulled the letter out, she noticed the royal emblem. It was a beautiful shade of gold with a small flame on it. She admired it for a couple of seconds before ripping the envelope open. Her hands fumbled while she opened the letter.

_Katara,_

_Hi, Zuko here. I know, it has been awhile hasn't it? About ten years huh is it? Time sure flies fast when you're this busy._

Katara chuckled. It was Zuko. Her heart swelled with happiness. She hadn't heard from him and ages. She almost forgot how much she missed the Firebender.

_A lot has been going on lately. I have people at my back an awful lot. Surprisingly, not everyone wanted my father's rein to end. My uncle has been helping a lot, but even he can do everything. My advisors are constantly bugging me about having an heir. That's a pain let me tell you. Just about every meeting it's the same. "Lord Zuko, what if you are assassinated?" Even my uncle has been prying at me some grand-nephews and nieces._

Katara paused and smiled at the thought of Iroh pestering about getting Mai pregnant. Poor guy.

_Unfortunately, I am not writing just to complain about my stressful life style. I have come down a rather troublesome health issue. I have gone to many physicians and we've even had some water benders come and their hand at healing. A blood clot is what they said. There isn't really anything they can do about it. It's in my left arm. I haven't been able to bend out of it for several weeks now._

Katara gasped. Blood clots could be very serious. Unfortunately, there wasn't that could be done about this day in age. She worried for her friend.

_So, this is my proposition. I do not want to lose my left arm's use. And, well, since you're a blood bender, I thought that maybe you could come fix it up for me? Or at least, try to see if you could fix it up. You can stay here as long as you'd like. I am sorry for the unexpected message. I know you and Aang must be busy. I understand if you cannot make it, just consider it please. Write back soon._

_-Firelord Zuko_

Katara wasted no time in getting out a quill and responding. She pulled out a spare parchment and flattened it out on the table.

_Dear, __Firelord_ _Zuko,_

_A little stressed eh? A blood clot? Seriously? I hope it's not too bad yet. Zuko, I will be there. Don't you worry. You are one of my best friends. Without your bending, you could get hurt! Even if you can still bend out of your right, you will still be much weaker than before! And a possibility of assassination? Zuko, it really is a wonder you weren't writing me for help years ago! I hope you're ready for me, because I will be setting out before you get this message. I am packing as soon as I send the bird off. The last thing I want to hear is that my dear friend Zuko has been assassinated. You don't need to worry about Aang and I being too busy. He would come too if he weren't in Ba Sing Sae for a year. I will be there as soon as I can. Hang in there._

_-Katara_

As soon as she put down her writing utensil, she dashed to her room. She began to fumble around in her closet, looking for clothing appropriate for Fire Nation weather. As opposed to the South Pole, the Fire Nation is hot almost all year around. She doesn't know how Zuko can stand it. Then again, he probably thought the same about her.

It had been years since she had any correspondence with the Fire Lord. She hadn't seen her old friend ever since he was crowned. She chuckled. She found it humorous how he insisted on being formal and signing his personal documents as "Fire Lord." Maybe she should start addressing him as Fire Lord Zuko. But, after she thought about it, she decided that he would always be Zuko. Just Zuko. Maybe she'd even steal Toph's pet name and start calling him Sparky.

Toph had made her fair share of nicknames for the group. There was Sparky, who was Zuko, Snoozles, who was Sokka, Twinkletoes, which was Aang, and Sugar Queen, Katara. She missed her Earthbending friend, but she knew she was teaching metal bending in Omashu. She even mentioned something about opening up her police force. Hah! The chief of police, also known as the Blind Bandit and the Runaway. Regardless, she would make a great chief. Only a fool would try to escape her clutches.

Sokka and Suki were no longer together. They had just grown distant. There's no really much else to it. After they split, Suki left for Kyoshi Island. From what Katara heard, she was now training young girls to become Kyoshi warriors. From what she heard, Aang's little fangirl Koko was now 16 years old and recently became a full-fledged Kyoshi. Ty Lee was also a Kyoshi warrior. She had been helping Suki out a lot. Suki soon became the sister Ty Lee never had. Sokka had left with Toph when she left for Omashu. It made Katara a little suspicious. Not that she minded. She had always known the young Earthbender had a crush on her older brother. Katara is not blind like Toph. She notices these things.

Katara huffed and pulled her heavy bag over her shoulder. She had a lot in there. She wasn't sure how long she would be gone. It's not like she could buy a lot while she was there. Even though Aang was the Avatar, he was an Airbender. He didn't like worldly possessions. This, in their case, meant a lot of money. They weren't poor, but they certainly weren't rich. It would be nice to have a little more money. Aang didn't exactly get paid money for his job. Katara's job was mostly volunteer work around the village. She did a lot with new Waterbenders. Many Waterbenders heard about Katara's reputation and wanted to learn from her. So, she took a few of them under her wing. She was sure to send a letter out to all of her pupils letting them know, she would be gone for awhile.

Katara walked over to the harbor and waited for the ship that would take passengers to and from the Fire Nation. It was more so a trade ship than it was a passenger ship, but the captains of the ship generally had no problem with letting someone on. As she stepped on the boat she turned around and mentally said goodbye to her home.

It wasn't that far to the Fire Nation homeland from the South Pole. It took about a week to get there. It could be far worse. It took a full month to reach the Earth Kingdom.

"Well…it's time for another one of my adventure," Katara muttered to herself. Little did she know how much of an adventure it would really be.


End file.
